Psychological Type and Problem-Solving Styles

The Concept of Preference

Preference can be defined as “feeling most natural, energized, and comfortable with particular ways of behaving and experiencing.” At a general level, there is a strong relationship between preference and Alex Linley’s revival of the concept of strengths. However, there are many strengths and, in classical type theory, eight preferences. Like strengths, the preferences are predispositions and, in a good-enough environment, they are expressed more and thus develop more. Type theory is optimistic in this respect: It assumes that most people’s early lives encourage, or at least do not unduly discourage, development of their preferences.

Psychological type theory suggests eight preferences, organized in pairs. With a brief indication of their meanings, the preferences are for the following:

• Extraversion—more outgoing and active—versus Introversion—more reflective and reserved
• Sensing—more practical and interested in facts and details—versus Intuition—more interested in possibilities and an overview
• Thinking—more logical and reasoned—versus Feeling—more agreeable and appreciative
• Judging—more planning and coming to conclusions—versus Perceiving—more flexible and easy-going.

Self-assessment from these or longer descriptions will be tempting for many but should be done very provisionally. Accurate assessment can be straightforward, but it is best done with expert feedback or in experiential training in which groups of people with different preferences take part in exercises that illustrate type in action.

People generally behave in ways consistent with their preferences but can and do behave in the opposite way, though usually with more effort. If you prefer Extraversion to Introversion for example, then reading quietly and reflectively is likely to take more effort than being sociable, but most extraverts can reflect and most introverts can be sociable. Type theory assumes that people who do not express their preferences most of the time are less fulfilled and less effective than they would be as their real selves.

The positive tone of the descriptions of the preferences is radically different from that of five-factor theory. For example, the preferences for Judging and Perceiving are broadly parallel to the factor of conscientiousness. Scoring high on conscientiousness is generally regarded as positive, with terms such as organized and decisive being used as they are for the preference for Judging. In contrast, scoring low on conscientiousness is generally regarded as negative, with terms such as aimless and weak-willed being used. Perceiving, as indicated above, is described as [Page 640]flexible and easygoing, which has a radically different tone, but could be describing the same behavior as the Big Five terms.

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